What functions are available in the firmware to adjust the printer for optimum print quality?

There are two types of adjustments available in the firmware to optimize image quality: Printhead Alignment and Banding Adjustment. Printhead Alignment adjusts the timing of the firing of the nozzles so that straight vertical lines are actually straight. Banding Adjustment adjust the paper feed mechanism precisely so that there is no horizontal banding with the multiple passes made by the printhead as it moves back and forth to print a section. Remember that the highest quality setting in the Photoshop plugin involves 16 passes of the printhead to print any area (32 passes for iPFX100 printers with Canon Media Types); if the feed amount between passes isn't exactly right you will get some degree of banding.

Note: According to Canon Tech Support, the banding adjustments are per media type. The last adjustment done (either manual or automatic) will over-write the previous adjustment for that media type. Posters to the Wiki have found that this is clearly true for the Far End Feed Adjustment, but don't know if it actually applies to the more general Manual Adjust Band. The question remains: if you do a Manual Adjust Band using one media type, do the other media types use that same adjustment if no Manual Band Adjustment has been performed for the other media types, or do they have no adjustment at all? In general, one would expect far less difference between media types for the Manual Band Adjustment than for the Far End Manual Feed, because the Far End Manual feed handles the transition from rear rollers to front rollers for the paper transport. However, this has not been tested by posters to the Wiki.

In the firmware there is an option to do each of these adjustments either:

• Automatically - the printed patterns are read by a laser while the paper is still in the printer OR
• Manually - a pattern is printed on the paper and read by eye using a loupe to get the best visual match

The adjustments available are listed below with a description of the process for each type of adjustment. The currently recommended adjustment procedure is shown in bold type:

• Auto Head Adjustment
  • Standard - prints 5 pages (11X17 minimum paper size) and reads automatically
  • Advanced - prints 6 pages (11X17 minimum paer size) and reads automatically
• Manual Head Adjustment - prints 2 pages of columns (portion of first page shown below), each column using a different color of ink, including the type of black (photo or matte) that is used with this media type. There are a total of 11 columns (one for each ink). Each column is divided into an upper and lower section, for a total of 22 sections. The sections are labeled D-1 through D-24. D-6 and D-12 were missing from the manual adjustment page I printed. Since the media type I used was Photo Paper Plus, these missing labels are presumably for matte black ink, which isn't used on this media type. For each section there are 11 patterns, labeled 0, 2, 4, ... 20. The pattern labeled 0 is slightly concave to the right, while the pattern labeled 20 is slightly concave to the left. Somewhere around 10 (depending on how far off the alignment is) will be a pattern which looks perfectly straight. You will definitely need a loupe to make an accurate determination. In the enlarged example below 12 is the straightest pattern. If you can't decide between two adjacent numbers, you can use the number in between (e.g., 11). Write down the number of the pattern which looks the straightest, then go on to the next section. When you have finished reading all 22 sections, go back to the printer LCD and enter each number using the arrow keys and the OK key. When you are done entering the numbers, there is one more choice just past section D-24 which is "Save Settings". If you think this sounds like a lot of hassle, you are right. The manual method appeared fairly precise; when I repeated the alignment all of the values were within 2 of the previous alignment value. However, it isn't clear to me that there is any benefit to using the manual method over the automated method.

• Auto Band Adjustment - only adjusts for main part of page; does not adjust far end feed, which must be done manually
  • Standard - prints one page and reads automatically
  • Advanced - prints two pages (one darker, one lighter) and reads automatically

• Manual Band Adjustment
  • Adjust Band - used to adjust feed optimally to prevent banding in all parts of the print except the trailing end of cut sheets. Prints "Paper Adjustment Pattern A" with strips number 0, 2, 4, ... 16. You choose the one that shows the least banding (probably 8) and enter that number on the printer LCD. Then prints "Paper Adjustment Pattern B" with strips numbered 0, 1, 2, 3, ... 8. You choose the one that shows no banding (in my case, 3; note the subtle horizontal banding in pattern 4 in the enlargement below) and enter that number on the printer LCD. This adjustment is easy and very precise. You know you won't get any visual banding because you did the adjustment visually.

• Adjust Far End Feed - used to adjust feed optimally to prevent banding in the trailing end of cut sheets. Prints "Paper Adjustment Pattern C", two rows, C1 and C2, at the trailing end of the sheet of paper. Patterns in each row are numbered 0, 2, 4, ... 32. Take a loupe and find the pattern in each row that shows no visual banding. In the enlarged example below, 28 is the best choice, as 26 still shows subtle horizontal banding. If you can't decided between two adjacent pattersns, choose the number in between, e.g., 27. Enter the numbers for C1 and C2 on the printer LCD. Note: This is the adjustment used to resolve the problems with Banding in the trailing 1.25 inches of sheets fed from the Cassette. See image below: